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"American Life"
Song

"American Life" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna, from her ninth studio album of the same name (2003). It was written and produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï, and it was released digitally as the lead single from the album on March 24, 2003 by Maverick Records. The lyrics to "American Life" feature violent transitions and a political and religious view from Madonna. She also performs a rap naming the people who are working for her, and she questions the shallowness of modern life and the "american dream" under United States's ex-president George W. Bush conservative watch.

"American Life" was universally panned by music critics, with Blender naming it as the ninth worst song of all time. Despite receiving mostly negative reviews from critics, "American Life" reached number one in Canada, Denmark, Italy, Japan and Switzerland, and the top ten in Australia, where the song was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). However, the song peaked number thirty-seven in the US Billboard Hot 100, until descending, staying in the charts for eight weeks, while peaking number two on the UK Singles Chart.

Two music videos were shot for the song. One was the uncensored version, which featured Madonna at a military-themed fashion show, cavorting with a brigade of female soldiers and in the end, she throws a hand grenade at George W. Bush. It received some controversy, regarding political, racial, violence and religious views. After the invasion of Iraq was started, Madonna censored the first version and released an alternative version, featuring her in front of a backdrop of flags from around the world. The song was performed at her Re-Invention World Tour (2004).

Background and release

In an interview with VH1, Madonna discussed her motivations behind American Life discussing her 20 years in the industry. Stating that "material things" were unimportant, she also stated that "I look back at the 20 years behind me and I realized that a lot of things that I'd valued weren't important", in response to the non-materialistic themes of the record.[1] Discussing the album, Madonna said about "American Life":

"[The song] was like a trip down memory lane, looking back at everything I've accomplished and all the things I once valued and all the things that were important to me. What is my perspective now? I've fought for so many things, I've tried so hard to be number one and to stay on top, to look good, to be the best. And I realized that a lot of things that last and the things that matter are none of those things."

"American Life" was released digitally on March 25, 2003, through AOL.[2] The single's price ranged from US$0,49 cents to US$1,49.[2] To counter illegal Internet downloads of the song both before and after the single's release, Madonna's associates created a number of false song files of similar length and size. Some of these files delivered a brief message from Madonna saying "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" followed by minutes of silence.[3] However, the song leaked online one day before its official release.[4] Madonna's associates also used the "fake files" to counter illegal Internet downloads of the album. However, a hacker added a message appearing on the Madonna's website, saying "This is what the fuck I think I'm doing..." followed by download links for each of the album's songs.[5] The website was closed after the attack for about 15 hours.[5]

Composition and lyrics

"American Life"
A 29-second sample of the song's chorus, where Madonna can be heard questioning "Am I gonna be a star", "should I change my name", that is a complaint about modern-day life.[6]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"American Life" was written and produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï. Starting with Madonna's voice multi-tracked questioning, "Am I gonna be a star", "should I change my name", the lyrics then develop into what Rikky Rooksby of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna states is a complaint about modern-day life.[6] She also questions the shallowness of modern life and the "american dream" under United States's ex-president George W. Bush conservative watch.[7] After three minutes, Madonna performs a rap naming the people who are working for her.[6] Madonna said that "Basically, we [she and Ahmadzaï] had recorded the whole song and we had this instrumental thing at the end and Mirwais was like, 'You know what, you have to go and do a rap.' And I was like, 'Get out of here, I don't rap.' And he was like, 'Yeah you do. Just go in there, just do it.' He totally encouraged me. I had nothing planned, nothing written, and he just told me to do stream-of-consciousness, whatever I was thinking. Because I was always drinking soy lattes in the studio, and I drive my Mini Cooper to the studio, I was just like, 'OK, let me just talk about the things that I like.' So I went and it was just total improv and obviously it was sloppy at first, but I got out all my thoughts and then I wrote everything down that I said and then I perfected the timing of it. So it was totally spontaneous."[8]

The repeated acoustic guitar riff "adds a touch of pathos" to the song, according to biographer Carol Gnojewski.[7] The lyrics accompany a "punchy octave synth figure" synchronized with a drum and bass beat.[6] "American Life" is written in the time signature of common time with a moderate tempo of 102 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of A Major with Madonna's voice spanning from C#3 to B4.[9]

Critical reception

"American Life" was met with generally negative reviews from music critics. Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine labeled it a "trite, self-aggrandizing and often awkward song about privilege" and a "dour and robotic" track.[10] Stylus Magazine commented negatively: "When one of the world's richest women complains about commercialism and the emptiness of entertainment culture ... it just comes across as hypocritical rather than insightful; here, she's raging against the life she herself is leading."[11] Chuck Taylor of Billboard gave a negative review for the song, criticizing Madonna's rapping and calling the song "a blurry snarl of style and composition that's sounds more like a disjointed medley than a song."[12] Alexis Petridis from The Guardian was disappointed by the lyrics saying that "what on earth might her extreme point of view involve? That the world is ruled by a shadowy cabal of super-intelligent lizards?... Sadly not. Her extreme point of view turns out to be that money can't buy you happiness and that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be." He also panned the lyric "I like to express my extreme point of view", saying that it's difficult to hear that line without feeling a prickle of excitement.[13]

Entertainment Weekly called the song a yammered list of celeb perks: trainer, butler, assistant, three nannies, a bodyguard or five, that seems, at first, not like the clever self-twitting she clearly intended, but rather a facile confirmation of her haters' most knee-jerk conviction: that middle-aged Madge does not have a worldview beyond her next Pilates appointment.[14] In 2004, Blender magazine listed the song at number 9 on the list of the 50 Worst Songs Ever, stating that Madonna "updates the 'Material Girl'-era satire of commercialism and spiritual emptiness... with what is hands-down the most embarrassing rap ever recorded. Nervous and choppy, she makes Debbie Harry sound as smooth as Jay-Z." The magazine said that the worst moment of the song is when after rapping, Madonna sings, 'Nothing is what it seems,' in a manner drained of all profundity.[15] Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club considered the song to be "jittery, tuneless, and shallow to the point of self-parody".[16] In 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio labeled the song at number 58 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, stating that Madonna tries to get serious by pairing her stiffest beat ever with a high-school-level political rant.[17]

Chart performance

Faraway image of three women wearing military gear. The one in the middle is blonde and is wearing a hat on her head. She holds a microphone to her mouth.
Madonna performing "American Life" during her Re-Invention World Tour

"American Life" debuted at number 90 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[4] In the following weeks, the song peaked at number 37.[18] In Canada, the song peaked at number one on the singles chart.[19] In Australia, "American Life" debuted at its peak of number seven, during the week of April 24, 2003.[20] In the following week, the song began its decline, and experienced a total chart trajectory of eight weeks.[21] The song was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[22] In the New Zealand, the song peaked at number 33, and remained on the chart for one week.[21] On the UK Singles Chart, "American Life" debuted at its peak of number two on the week of April 26, 2003.[23]

On April 27, 2003, "American Life" debuted at number seven on the Ö3 Austria Top 40 chart, spending a total of eleven weeks in the chart.[21] The song achieved moderate chart positions in both the Flemmish and Wallonian territories in Belgium, peaking at numbers 12 and 10, respectively.[21] Making its debut at its peak position of number 61, "American Life" charted for a total of eleven weeks in France, before falling out on July 6, 2003.[21] The song was certified Silver by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP).[24] On the Dutch Top 40 chart, the song made its debut at number 34.[21] The following week it rose to number 21 and peaked at number 4, before the ending of its eleven week run.[21] On April 24, 2003, "American Life" debuted at number three on the Swedish Singles Chart.[21] Similarly in Switzerland, the song debuted at number one on the Swiss Singles Chart, spending thirteen weeks on the chart.[21]

Music video

A Mini Cooper appeared in the music video.

The controversial music video was shot on the first week of February 2003 at Los Angeles Center Studios in Los Angeles, California by Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund, who worked with Madonna in her videos for "Ray of Light" (1998) and "Music" (2000).[25] Madonna had the idea for the music video in November 2002, then she and Åkerlund developed the idea to make an anti-war and anti-fashion mini-movie.[8] With "American Life", she took her music videos to a different level by focusing on war, politics and the then-upcoming invasion of Iraq.[26] The video begins with several male and female models dressed up as soldiers on a fashion runway, inter-cut with scenes of Madonna singing in front of a black background. During the second verse, she is shown in a restroom with four women, each aggressively preparing to enter the fashion show. In the second chorus, middle-eastern children are seen walking on the runway, and being bullied by the soldier models. During the bridge, Madonna and her group are angrily walking down a hallway, then seen dancing in front of surveillance cameras. When the rap section starts, Madonna is seen crashing into the show driving a Mini Cooper, then rapping and dancing on top of the car with her gang, after-which she starts spraying water on the audience and numerous paparazzi using a water cannon, inter-cut with scenes of injured and maimed soldier-models, war scenes, footage of poverty, hunger, death and explosions. In the end of the video, Madonna frantically drives out of the runway into the amused audience, and throws a hand grenade to George W. Bush, and the video ends with him using it to light up his cigar.

"I feel lucky to be an American citizen for many reasons – one of which is the right to express myself freely, especially in my work. I understand that there have been reports about my upcoming video "American Life" in the media – much of which is inaccurate. I am not Anti-Bush. I am not pro-Iraq. I am pro peace. I have written a song and created a video which expresses my feelings about our culture and values and the illusions of what many people believe is the American dream – the perfect life. As an artist, I hope that this provokes thought and dialogue. I don't expect everyone to agree with my point of view."

—Madonna, about the controversy surrounding the music video.[25]

Due to the political climate of the country at the time, and after the Dixie Chicks made some anti-war comments,[27][28][29] on April 1, 2003, Madonna pulled the video and released a statement explaining why: "I have decided not to release my new video. It was filmed before the war started and I do not believe it is appropriate to air it at this time. Due to the volatile state of the world and out of sensitivity and respect to the armed forces, who I support and pray for, I do not want to risk offending anyone who might misinterpret the meaning of this video."[30] After pulling the original video, Madonna then released an edited version that premiered on April 16, 2003 on VH1, immediately after a special program called Madonna Speaks.[1] This version features Madonna singing in front of a backdrop of ever-changing flags of different countries.[31] In 2005, a director cut of the video leaked onto the Internet.[32] It shows heavier scenes, like wounded and maimed soldiers, war scenes, images of poverty and death.[32] In 2010, Slant Magazine placed this alternate video on the nineteenth place of decade's fifty best music videos list, stating: "It isn't like either the video's message about viewing war as a form of popular entertainment or its striking, loaded images leave much room for misinterpretation. Prescient? Yes. Relevant? Surely. Subtle? Not so much."[33]

Live performances

Faraway image of three women wearing military gear. The one in the middle is blonde and is wearing a hat on her head. She holds a microphone to her mouth and two fingers lifted up. The other two behind her on either side hold a similar position.
Madonna performing "American Life" during the Re-Invention World Tour

To promote American Life, Madonna embarked on the American Life Promo Tour. A performance on Tower's Fourth Street in Manhattan was presented to around 400 people;[34] the set started with an acoustic performance of "American Life" followed by the track "X-Static Process".[34] The promotional show also saw Madonna perform two other tracks from the album being; "Mother and Father" and "Hollywood" before performing an "impromptu" performance of "Like a Virgin", and lastly performing "American Life" again, but this time being the album version.[34] A stage was built in preparation for the performances with long dark drapes and large speakers, according to Billboard was so that over one thousand fans nearby could hear the performance.[34]

In the following year, "American Life" was included on her Re-Invention World Tour. It opened the military segment started with the sound of a helicopter in the background as Madonna's backup dancers, dressed as soldiers, crawled on their bellies as though in the middle of battle, then hugged each other as if saying goodbye. Madonna appeared onstage in camouflage pants, an olive army jacket and black beret. She started performing the song as war footage of death and destruction flashed on screens behind her. At the end of the song, it showed a George W. Bush look-alike lovingly resting his head on the shoulder of a Saddam Hussein look-alike, as though the pair were waiting for a marriage license.[35] During the performance Madonna ran down a lengthy V-shaped catwalk that descended from the ceiling and allowed her to reach the middle of the stadium.[35] The performance was included in the I'm Going to Tell You a Secret live album and documentary.[36]

Track listings and formats

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from American Life album liner notes.[43]

Charts and certifications

Notes

  1. ^ a b "'Madonna Speaks' For The First Time To VH1 On New 'American Life' Album". VH1. PR Newswire. 2003-04-16. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
  2. ^ a b The Recording Industry. Billboard. Promethus Global Media. p. 256. Retrieved 2012-04-30. {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ "Hacked: Madonna's Web Site Defaced". The Smoking Gun. Turner-SI Digital Network. 2003-04-18. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
  4. ^ a b Singles Minded. Billboard. Promethus Global Media. 2003-04-05. p. 55. Retrieved 2012-07-10. {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b "Like a virgin – Madonna hacked for the very first time". The Register. 2003-04-22. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  6. ^ a b c d Rooksby 2004, p. 61
  7. ^ a b Gnojewski 2007, pp. 129
  8. ^ a b Norris, John. "Madonna Her American Life". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
  9. ^ Ciccone, Madonna; Ahmadzaï, Mirwais (2003). "Digital Sheet Music – Madonna – American Life". Musicnotes.com. Alfred Publishing. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  10. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (2008-07-11). "Madonna: American Life". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  11. ^ Howard, Ed (2003-09-01). "Madonna "American Life"". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Reviews & Previews: Spotlights. Billboard. Promethus Global Media. 2012-04-12. p. 29. Retrieved 2012-04-30. {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |primeiro= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |último= ignored (help)
  13. ^ Petridis, Alexis (2003-04-11). "CD: Madonna: American Life". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  14. ^ Tucker, Ken (2003-04-25). "American Life Review". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
  15. ^ Staff, TMZ (2006-06-21). "Madonna, Clay Aiken in Top 50 Worst Songs Ever". TMZ. EHM Productions, Inc. Retrieved 2012-07-17.
  16. ^ Thompson, Stephen (2003-04-23). "Madonna "American Life". The A.V. Club. The Onion, Inc. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
  17. ^ Wilkening, Matthew (2010-09-11). "100 Worst Songs Ever – Part Three of Five". AOL Radio. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
  18. ^ Billboard. "Madonna Chart History". Archived from the original on 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
  19. ^ a b c d "Madonna Chart History". Billboard. Promethus Global Media. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
  20. ^ a b "Madonna – American Life". ARIA Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-08-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Madonna – American Life". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-08-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  22. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2003 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  23. ^ a b c "2003 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive". UK Singles Chart. Official Charts Company. 2003-04-26. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
  24. ^ a b "Disque en France". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  25. ^ a b Wiederhorn, Jon (2003-02-14). "Madonna Defends Her Violent 'American Life' Video – News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
  26. ^ Lamb, Bill. "Top 10 Madonna Music Videos". About.com. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
  27. ^ "Shut Up And Sing': Dixie Chicks' Big Grammy Win Caps Comeback From Backlash Over Anti-War Stance". Democracy Now. 2007-02-15. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
  28. ^ "Upset About Bush Remark, Radio Stations Dump Dixie Chicks". Guardian Unlimited. 2003-03-14. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
  29. ^ Clarke, Betty. "The Dixie Chicks". The Guardian. Time Warner. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
  30. ^ Susman, Gary (2003-04-01). "Miss 'American' | News". EW.com. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
  31. ^ "Madonna Online – Videos". MTV Brasil. Grupo Abril. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  32. ^ a b "Madonna Online – Videos". MTV Brasil. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  33. ^ "Best of the Aughts: Music Videos". Slant Magazine. 2010-01-20. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
  34. ^ a b c d Christman, Ed (2003-05-10). "Retail Track: Madonna Makes Music". 115 (19). Billboard. Promethus Global Media: 45. ISSN 0006-2510. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  35. ^ a b Segal, David (2004-06-15). "Prime Madonna". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
  36. ^ Madonna (2005). I'm Going to Tell You a Secret. Warner Home Video. {{cite AV media}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help)
  37. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |PID= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  38. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |PID= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  39. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |PID= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  40. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |PID= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  41. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |PID= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  42. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |PID= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  43. ^ American Life (Media notes). Maverick Records. 2003. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |publisherid= ignored (help)
  44. ^ "Madonna – American Life". French Singles Chart. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-08-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  45. ^ "Keresés lista és dátum szerint". Mahasz. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
  46. ^ "Hits of the World: Spain". Billboard. 115 (18). Promethus Global Media: 54. 2003-05-03. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  47. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2003". Ultratop (in Dutch). Hung Medien. 2003. Retrieved 2012-07-26. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  48. ^ "Le Bilan des Ventes de Singles en 2003". French Singles Chart (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
  49. ^ "I singoli più venduti del 2003". Italian Singles Chart (in Italian). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-12-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  50. ^ "Årslista Singlar – År 2003". Sverigetopplistan. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-07-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  51. ^ "Årslista Singlar – År 2003". Swiss Music Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-07-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  52. ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart" (PDF). UK Singles Chart. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-07-17.

References

  • Rooksby, Rikky (2004), Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, Omnibus Press, ISBN 978-0711998834
  • Gnojewski, Carol (2007), Madonna: Express Yourself, Enslow Pub Inc., ISBN 978-0766024427

External links

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Life_(song)&oldid=504405752

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